Born Under a Bad Sign by Albert King

Born Under a Bad Sign, Albert King's second studio album, came out on Stax in August 1967, and it's the sound of a bluesman walking into Stax and making himself right at home. Jim Stewart produced, and the backing comes from heavy hitters: Booker T. & the M.G.'s laying down grooves as tight as a drum skin, and the Memphis Horns punching holes in the air. The eleven songs were cut across five sessions between March 1966 and June 1967, and every one leaves room for King's guitar to sting, bend and cry.

It didn't chart. It didn't need to. The critics loved it, and the guitar players listened hardest: Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan all took something from it. It now sits in the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Registry.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.